I know folks are awaiting my recap of the budget and tax vote. That’s forthcoming. Thank you for your patience. In the meantime, I know people also want an explanation for the water rate increase. You can find that at the bottom of this preview.
You can sign up online to speak at council meetings in person or via Zoom online at this link up to 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting, which is typically at the 7:00 Regular Meeting. You may alternatively share your thoughts by emailing the council members any time at our email addresses here, or by 4:00 PM the day of the meeting at councilcomments@plano.gov. The council meeting will be live-streamed on PlanoTV.org and on the City of Plano Facebook page.
Executive Session (starts at 5:30 PM)
(Review agenda here)
- Economic Development Consideration
- Personnel – Appointments
- Board of Adjustment – Members, Alternate Members and Chair
- Building Standards Commission – Members, Alternate Members and Chair
- Heritage Commission – Members and Chair
- Planning & Zoning Commission – Members and Chair
Preliminary Open Meeting (after Executive Session ends)
(Review agenda here)
- Personnel – Appointments
- Board of Adjustment – Members, Alternate Members and Chair
- Building Standards Commission – Members, Alternate Members and Chair
- Heritage Commission – Members and Chair
- Planning & Zoning Commission – Members and Chair
- Animal Shelter Advisory Committee – Member, Interim Member and Chair
- Community Relations Commission – Members, Interim Member and Chair
- Cultural Arts Commission – Member, Interim Member and Chair
- Library Advisory Board – Members and Chair
- Parks and Recreation Planning Board – Members and Chair
- Plano Housing Authority – Member only
- Retirement Security Plan Committee – Members and Chair
- Senior Advisory Board – Members, Interim Member and Chair
- Tax Increment Financing Reinvestment Zone No.4 Board – Members and Chair
Regular Meeting (starts at 7:00 PM)
(Review agenda here) Notable Consent Agenda items are at the bottom of this post.
Comments of Public Interest: at the end of every meeting, anyone can speak for up to three minutes by Zoom, with 30 total minutes allotted for this segment.
Items for Individual Consideration
- Item (1): Rezone 8.6 acres of land on the southeast side of 14th Street and Highway 75. This request is to change some development standards such as setback and parking to consolidate three properties into a single zoning category. 300 multifamily units are already built or approved across all three lots, and no additional multifamily is being requested.
- Item (2): Specific Use Permit (SUP) for Electrical Substation on 0.7 acres on the southwest side of Summit Avenue and Klein Road
- Item (3): SUP for a Trade School for massage therapy on 0.02 acres northwest of Park Boulevard Coit Road
- Item (4): Resolution to nominate an individual for election to the Collin Central Appraisal District Board of Directors
- Item (5): Resolution to nominate an individual for election to the Denton Central Appraisal District Board of Directors
Notable Consent Agenda Items
Total of $3,804,147 of your money in proposed expenses
An issue with the agenda system is preventing the details from being shown for consent items a, b, and e below. If I’m still unable to review the detail before the meeting, I’ll vote to table, or vote against these items.
- Item (a): $1,197,743 for 18 one-ton service trucks
- Item (b): $1,083,966 for Hoblitzelle Park East Renovation
- Item (e): $964,392 for 6 Aerial Bucket Trucks
- Item (m): water rate increase (see below)
- Item (n): sewer rate increase
Water Rate Increase
A lot of folks were shocked by the water rate increase, which will be approved at tomorrow’s meeting. Regrettably, the rate increase wasn’t communicated very well. The notice people received is below. The rate increase at the 1,001 – 5,000 gallon range looks like highway robbery at first glance. However, there are two important things to know, and the second is more important than the first:
- Plano purchases the water you receive from the North Texas Municipal Water District. The city passes that cost along to you, the consumer. The amount we’re being charged for water by the water district is being increased, and so that price increase is likewise being passed along to you, the consumer. Part of the cost increase is from the need to update infrastructure, part is supply and demand (Collin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the entire country, so more people are making demands for more water, and the water supply isn’t increasing commensurate to the population), and part is the need to build new lakes to meet the growing demand. That’s right, Bois D’Arc Lake is under construction. Fun Fact: there’s only one natural lake in Texas, Caddo Lake, on the border of Louisiana. All the other lakes are manmade. You have to be really thirsty to build a lake. But building lakes is really expensive.
- The 1,001 – 5,000 gallon range has been heavily subsidized for many years. Partly this was to encourage conservation, but as water needs increase, this has had the ultimate effect of increasing the proportion of the subsidy over time. This rate increase reduces (but doesn’t completely eliminate) the subsidy. As you canThe rate increase on all other tiers is relatively modest
Review City Council agendas and minutes here.
